CAPCA Yearly Awards Nominations
Nominations for 2024 are now closed. Please check back early next year for the 2025 nomination links.
Since 1975 CAPCA has annually awarded a Member of the Year and Contribution to Agriculture Award winner at the CAPCA Annual Conference and Agri-Expo. As we prepare to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the CAPCA Annual Conference and Agri-Expo the CAPCA Board wants to invite you to nominate the 2024 CAPCA Member of the Year and Contribution to Ag winner!
In addition to our two traditional awards, the CAPCA Board of Directors has directed an additional award – CAPCA Advocacy Award – to highlight CAPCAs commitment to and collaborative efforts for Advocacy on behalf of the PCA License and CAPCA Membership. This award will recognize an individual involved in local politics or engaged in the sustainable development of sound pesticide policy in California. Nominations for the newly founded award will come from the CAPCA Advocacy Committee, our work with the Alliance of California Farmers and Ranchers, CAPCA Lobbyist or CAPCA Leadership to celebrate stakeholders working on behalf of the PCA license and aligned industry for continued licensing professionalism, integrated pest management including pesticides and success in agriculture and green spaces across California.
Nomination Process – How do I nominate someone? Nominations will open at the publication of the CAPCA February Adviser and be open until May 15, 2024. Scroll down the page for the nomination forms. You will need to complete a separate nomination form for each person, company or organization you are nominating. The nominated person, company or organization will be asked to accept the nomination and provide some additional information to ensure the Nominating Committee as well as the CAPCA Board of Directors, who votes on the award winners, have adequate information for their decision.
Top nominees will be featured in the CAPCA Adviser magazine alongside the Annual Award winners. We want to celebrate the diverse accomplishments of our membership and industry stakeholders! Award winners will be recognized at the CAPCA Annual Conference during the Membership Lunch on Monday, October 13, 2024.
Nomination Guidelines – Who is eligible for the award? Guidelines for awards are to be used only for idea generation, not to limit nominations. Members identify outstanding potential recipients to be nominated for one or both awards outlined below.
Outstanding Contribution to Agriculture:
- Individuals, companies, or organizations can qualify for this award.
- Nominated parties may come from any industry (i.e., agriculture, entertainment, legislators, media, medical, etc.)
- In a given year, nominees should have accomplished any of the following:
- Led a successful small- or large-scale public relations program, or
- An educational program, or
- Accomplished something particularly proactive, or
- Developed an agricultural/horticultural tool which will change industry forever -or-
- An entity in which consistently participates and volunteers over a span of years for a variety of projects, issues, etc. for the good of agriculture/horticulture.
Some Outstanding Contribution to Agricultural Award Winners:
1992 – Stanley W. Strew, CAPCA Executive Director and Founder Member
2005 – A.G. Kawamura, CDFA Secretary
2011 – John Kabashima, UCCE Farm Advisor
2017 – Ruben Arroyo, Riverside County Agricultural Commissioner
CAPCA Member of the Year:
- This award is limited to a CAPCA member who is a licensed PCA (Pest Control Adviser) and recognizes their contribution back to the PCA profession via CAPCA activities.
- Beyond that, nominations should be considerate of the various activities the PCA performs above and beyond the industry norm, or to have actively worked towards the advancement of understanding, recognition, and/or professionalism of PCAs.
- Nomination recipients should participate in CAPCA committees and activities, allied organizations, and/or local community projects (i.e., Scouting, Kiwanis, etc.).
- These individuals should also display the following characteristics:
- Strives for integrity
- Continual personal development
- Gives back to the industry
- Looked upon as a leader
- Respected by many
- Cares about making a difference within the PCA profession as well as agriculture and horticulture in general
Some examples of CAPCA Member of the Year Awards:
1991 – Fred Strauss for his CAPCA Advocacy and ambassadorship as a PCA
2008 – Jeremy Briscoe/Sean Morelos for their development of Pathway to PCA program
2020 – Dan Wickham for his role in the CAPCA Board, Conference Committee, & SoCal Chapter including mentorship, education and professionalism
Thank you for helping us recognize CAPCA PCAs, individuals, companies and coalitions doing great work on behalf of the PCA license and the industry!
List of all past award winners:
CAPCA Contribution to Ag Award Winners:
1979 Carol Hallett, Assemblywoman
1980 John Thurman, Assemblyman
1981 Dick Beeler, Editor
1982 Jim Nielsen, Senator
1983 Gordon Berg, Editor
1984 Pamela Jones, Director/Alliance
1985 Clare Berryhill, Director/CDFA
1986 George Deukmejian, Governor
1987 Claude Finnell, Agricultural Commissioner
1988 Elin Miller, Executive Director, WACA
1989 Mark Linder, Agriculture in the Classroom
1990 Dale Miller, Sandoz Corporation
1991 Tina Zmak & Scott McGaugh, Chapman-Warwick Advertising
1992 Harold Kempen, Kern Co. Farm Advisor
1992 Stanley W. Strew, CAPCA Executive Director
1993 Harry Cline, Argus, Inc.
1994 Bob Vice, California Farm Bureau Federation
1995 Ron Cisney, Olocco Ag Service
1996 Bill Jones, Secretary of State
1997 Jim Costa, Senator
1998 Jean Mari Peltier, DPR Deputy Director
1999 Jim Wells, DPR Director
1999 Kim Crum, CAPCA Executive Director
2000 Corita Gravitt, California Heartland
2001 Ann Veneman, Secretary of Agriculture
2002 Clyde Elmore, UC Extension
2003 Jackson Gualco, The Gualco Group, Inc.
2004 George Leavitt, Bill Olsen, Wilber Reil, Beth Teviotdale, Jack Williams, Retiring Farm Advisors
2005 A. G. Kawamura, California CDFA Secretary
2006 Doug Okumura, DPR, retired
2007 Tim Butler, DuPont
2008 Marilyn Dolan, Alliance for Food & Farming
2009 Roberta Firoved, California Rice Commission
2010 Neale P. McNutt, Tri-Tech Ag Products
2011 John Kabashima, UCCE Farm Advisor
2012 Karen Francone, CDPR Regional Director and Jon Jessen, Gowan Company Founder
2013 James Bethke, UCCE Farm Adviser
2014 Bill Weir, PH.D., UCCE Advisor Emeritus
2015 Terry W. Stark, CAPCA CEO, Retired
2016 Martin Reid, Retired PCA, DuPont
2017 Ruben Arroyo, Agricultural Commissioner
2018 Steve Koike, UCCE Farm Adviser
2019 Valerie Mellano, Cal Poly Pomona/UCCE
2020 Cheryl Wilen, UCANR Area IPM Advisor
2021 Paul Squires, Independent PCA
2022 Dr. John Palumbo, University of Arizona
2023 Frank Miranda, Independent PCA
CAPCA Member of the Year Award Winners:
1975 Stan Strew
1976 Larry Starr
1977 John R. Monnich
1978 Howard Barnett
1979 Scott Johnson
1980 Robert Kennedy
1981 G. Randy Heath
1982 Tim Sitton
1983 Shawna Bishop
1984 Sharan Lanini
1985 Tim Butler
1986 Jose Silva
1987 Michael Mead
1988 Jack Wackerman
1989 Tim Sitton
1990 Phil Larson
1991 Fred Strauss
1992 Steve Hartmeier
1993 Ed Murray
1994 Sam Bennet
1995 Jack Orr
1996 Linda LaVanne
1997 Karen Watts
1998 John Perry, Jr.
1999 Diana Bartel
2000 Mike Huffman
2001 Gary Silveria
2002 Jean LaDuc
2003 Ed Ishida
2004 Rick Foell
2005 Jim Rogers
2006 David Pattison
2007 Dale Nicol
2008 Jeremy Briscoe/Sean Morelos
2009 Jill Levake-Scott
2010 Renee Rianda
2011 Harry Peck
2012 Steve Hardgrave
2013 Dennis Duda
2014 Jeff Rasmussen
2015 Paul Crout
2016 Henry Buckwalter
2017 Rick Harrison
2018 Patrick Dosier
2019 John McClenahan
2020 Dan Wickham
2021 David Drucker
2022 Adam Tavares
2023 Krista Tavares